In a world where Disney tries to say you can’t sue them for killing somebody in one of their restaurants because you once signed up to Disney+, it is no surprise that US Corporate shithousery doesn’t really have any boundaries. Like with AI.
Many actors were staggered to discover that, because they once appeared in the background of a movie scene decades ago, studios now thought they owned their likeness in perpetuity and could reproduce and use them whenever they wanted. This was one of the central issues behind the SAG-AFTRA strikes that caused the industry to grind to a halt.
Now, the California Senate has approved a bill (AB 2602) that aims to prevent this. Under the terms of the bill, sweeping contracts of ownership of digital likenesses are outlawed, and the use of any AI replica must be explicitly bargained for, with a ‘reasonably specific’ description of all eventual use. Contracts without these included are deemed unenforceable. It now needs to go to Gavin Newsom.
This covers movies and television. Video game developers are still locked in battle with SAG-AFTRA over the same topic.
The rise of AI is also driving the “No Fakes Act” being presented to Congress which seeks to make it completely illegal to create a digital replica of anyone, including you and me, without permission.
Of course, the lobbyists for Big Tech are now involved saying this threatens US innovation in the AI space if allowed to proceed.